| Pointe des Almadies | |
| Type: | headland |
| Map: | Afro-Eurasia#Africa#Senegal |
| Coordinates: | 14.7408°N -17.53°W |
| Elevation M: | 0 |
| Surface Elevation M: | --> |
Pointe des Almadies or Point Almadies (pronounced as /fr/ "bark canoe point")[1] is the westernmost point on the continent of Africa and of the Afro-Eurasian landmass, lying at 17.5 degrees west of the Greenwich meridian, 8 degrees further west than Cabo da Roca, mainland Europe's westernmost point.[2] Pointe des Almadies is located on the north-western end of the Cap Vert peninsula in Senegal.[3]
Pointe des Almadies lies within the greater Dakar urban area from the village of N'gor and the town of Yoff.[2] [4]
Pointe des Almadies is a 30 minutes trip from downtown Dakar, Senegal's capital city, and is served by local transportation. The site itself is approximately 5km (03miles) from the Dakar-Yoff-Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport. The Hôtel Méridien Présidentiel, the country's leading hotel and a major conference center, is located at Pointe des Almadies.
An oceanic front exists in the waters off Pointe des Allmadies.[5] The waters of the equatorial northern flank are measurably warmer than the southern flank, with differences of 2C-change3C-change. This causes differences in water chlorophyll levels, and resultant differences in fish abundance on different sides of the peninsula. The point is also a very good location for watching migratory seabirds[6]
Pointe des Almadies served an important role in a 1985 ruling that determined the maritime boundary between the nearby countries of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.[7] Both Guinea and Guinea-Bissau have short coastlines, so an international tribunal measured the general trend of the central West African coast from landmarks in the adjacent countries Senegal and Sierra Leone.[8] Pointe des Almadies marks the north-western point of reference and Cape Schilling (8.1724°N -13.1645°W[9]) in Sierra Leone marks the south-eastern point of reference. The maritime boundary between Guinea and Guinea-Bissau extends in a direction perpendicular to a line connecting the relative positions of these two landmarks.
The Almadies peninsula was a featured location in the 1964 film The Endless Summer where Bruce Brown shot the film's stars Mike Hynson and Robert August at a reef near Pointe des Almadies.[10] [11] The best surfing in Senegal is on the peninsula, with locations within walking distance on both the north and south sides of the peninsula. Peak season is November through May.